BBC ON THIS DAY | 6 | 1994: President and Queen open Chunnel About This Site | Text Only 1994: President and Queen open Chunnel The Queen and France's President Francois Mitterrand have formally opened the Channel Tunnel during two elaborate ceremonies in France and Britain. After travelling through the tunnel, which took eight years and billions of pounds to build, the Queen said it was one of the world's great technological achievements. The tunnel is the first land link between Britain and Europe since the last Ice Age about 8,000 years ago. The first leg of the Queen's journey took her from London's Waterloo station through the tunnel by high-speed Eurostar passenger train. She arrived at Calais at the same time as the President Mitterrand's train which had travelled from Paris' Gard du Nord via Lille. Nose to nose encounter The two locomotives met nose to nose - a computer that prevents two trains travelling on the same track was switched off for the occasion. The two heads of state cut red, white and blue ribbons simultaneously to the sound of their respective national anthems played by the band of the French Republican Guard.

They were accompanied by their Prime Ministers John Major and Edouard Balladur and other government ministers to the Eurotunnel terminus. Passengers must wait Eurostar will not start carrying passengers until July at the earliest and private cars will have to wait until October. After lunch, the Queen and President Mitterrand took the royal Rolls-Royce on Le Shuttle for the 35-minute trip to Folkestone. There was a similar ribbon-cutting ceremony on English soil. Among those present were joint Eurotunnel chairmen Sir Alastair Morton and Andr� B�nard as well as Frenchman Philippe Cozette, who drilled the hole that first joined the two ends of the tunnel in December 1990. Behind today's celebrations lies the reality that the tunnel has run up huge debts. It cost �10bn to build, more than double the original forecast in 1987 - and there are serious doubts about its long-term financial viability. The two opening ceremonies In Context At first the Channel Tunnel looked like it was going to be a financial disaster.

A year after the official opening, the tunnel operator Eurotunnel announced a loss of �925m, one of the biggest in UK corporate history at the time. To add to its woes, freight traffic was suspended for six months in 1996 after a fire broke out on a lorry in the tunnel. A scheme in which banks agreed to swap billions of pounds worth of loans for shares saved the tunnel from going under and in 1999, Eurotunnel was able to announce its first net profit - �64m. It still has huge debts - to the tune of �6.4bn in 2004. But it has become an accepted and popular mode of transport, not least among illegal immigrants trying to get into Britain from Europe. Tunnel facts Channel Tunnel is 20 years old: In numbers - BBC News BBC News Channel Tunnel is 20 years old: In numbers By Richard Westcott BBC Transport correspondent 6 May 2014 Close share panel Media captionInside the Eurotunnel service tunnel It is 20 years since the Channel Tunnel was officially opened.

Both Queen Elizabeth II and France's President Francois Mitterrand attended the initial ceremony in Calais on 6 May 1994, before travelling through the Tunnel, or le tunnel sous la Manche in French, for a similar event marking its opening, in Folkestone. It is impossible to explain all 31.4 miles (or 50.5km) of the Channel Tunnel without using lots of numbers. So here goes. Seven A few years ago it was voted one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the highly respected American Society of Civil Engineers. That puts it in the same league as the Empire State Building, the Panama Canal and the Golden Gate Bridge. (Also on the list by the way, the North Sea Protection Works, which is worth looking up online.) 830 At around 830m (that's 907 yards) Eurotunnel tell me their car trains are the longest in Europe. They're also pulled by the most powerful locomotives in the world. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A train leaves the French end of the tunnel 1802 They have been talking about a Channel Tunnel since the beginning of the 19th Century.

Napoleon liked the idea but the Brits didn't fancy the prospect of being invaded from a giant hole. There are actually three tunnels - two for trains and a smaller, service tunnel down the middle Since then there have been dozens of proposed schemes. They even dug half a mile underneath Kent in the 1880s, and the old tunnel is still there today. Again, a fundamental mistrust of the French stopped it in its tracks. The best idea that I've read about though, (I do so hope it's true), was for an ice tunnel, that could be deliberately melted by switching off the refrigeration units if an invading army fancied sneaking across. Brilliant. It has been suggested that a Channel Tunnel could have shortened World War One by two years because the British could have used it to supply their troops more effectively. Quite a sobering thought that, especially as we remember the 100th anniversary this year. 40 It runs 40m (131ft) under the seabed. None of it goes through water. I was allowed to take a stroll through the service tunnel. Honestly, it's spooky. One It was finished a year late.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Philippe Cozette (R) and Graham Fagg, who dug the last sections of the tunnel mark the 20th anniversary 4 billion It cost £4bn ($6.7bn) more than the original estimate, and that's without interest payments. 2007 Buckling under the sheer weight of debt, the owners were stumbling towards bankruptcy until a last-minute restructuring in 2007-08. 2012 All things considered, 2012 was the first year that this leviathan of a project actually turned a profit. The owners now say they're going from strength to strength. Three There have been three fires caused by lorries on trains. They now have an intensive, automatic spraying system to douse any flames (on top of dedicated safety teams and equipment). Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Employees work to repair damage caused by a fire in 2008 Also three There are actually three tunnels. Two for trains and a smaller, service tunnel down the middle (the one I walked down). It can be used as a "lifeboat" to get people out during an emergency.

That is what happened in 2008 after the worst blaze, when a lorry caught fire seven miles from the French entrance. It took months to repair the damage caused by the 1000C heat. Two Two of the 11, mighty boring machines used to dig the thing are still down there, buried. Funnily enough, they don't fit them with a reverse gear, so it was cheaper to put in a 90-degree turn and bury them in the wall, rather than dismantle them and bring them out. The other machines are on show all over the place. At least one is a sculpture in the middle of a car roundabout in France. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A Eurostar train at St Pancras A couple Back in the early 1990s they didn't have the pinpoint tunnelling machines they have today. They used lasers to guide them but engineers didn't know for certain they'd meet up in the middle until a bloke with a pneumatic drill knocked through the wall, and didn't get wet. It turns out they were just a couple of millimetres out.

By the way, the Brits got a bit further than the French, so they didn't quite meet in the middle, but the French did face tougher geological and engineering issues (apparently). 85 Around 85% of the people taking their cars and vans through are basically from Britain. Only around 6% are French. So it turns out we like driving in France far more than they like driving here. They must have seen the M25 (M6, A14 etc etc). How the Channel Tunnel was Built - Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Home > build How the Channel Tunnel was Built The Channel Tunnel is one of the biggest engineering projects ever undertaken in the UK. Taking more than five years to complete, with more than 13,000 workers from England and France collaborating to realise the vision, the tunnel has been named one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Today, as thousands of passengers take the Eurotunnel le Shuttle under the Channel every year, it can be easy to take for granted this extraordinary and unique man-made feat. Fare Finder Country of Residence Search and book Are you sure you want your outward journey to start from Folkestone?

Are you sure you want your outward journey to start from Calais? Yes Cancel Construction 1802 Ideas for a tunnel connecting England and France have been in existence since at least 1802, when French engineer Albert Mathieu proposed an underground highwayfor horse-drawn carriages, with an island in the middle for changing your steed. 1856 The first serious railway connection proposal came in 1856, again from the French, when surveyor Aimé Thomé de Gamond suggested to Emperor Napoleon III that a tunnel could be mined out, but the scheme was not taken any further. 1980's It wasn't until the 1980s that a coalition of French and British leaders invited private companies to put forward plans for an international link. Ideas mooted included a 4.5km suspension bridge, holding a road encased in a tube, a drive-through tunnel and, of course, today's high-speed rail link. 1988 Once a decision was made construction was able to begin in 1988, with the tunnel being dug simultaneously from France and Britain.

It was at the time the most expensive construction project ever proposed and the cost finally came in at £9 billion. Giant boring machines were used to shift tonnes of rock and soil every day. Some of the machines were built especially for the job, with a combination of extremely high pressure water jets and rotating disc cutters used to burrow through the land beneath the Channel. The spoil from tunnelling was used to create a 73 acre hoe on Britain's coast, on the French side their spoil was piled up into a new hill. 1990 On December 1 1990 a Frenchman and an Englishman shook hands in front of the World's media, through a hole connecting the two tunnel ends. 1994 The completed project was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand on May 6 1994. Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Super Structures Episode Connect: How the Channel Tunnel Was Built and Designed Updated December 04, 2015. What Is the Channel Tunnel? The Channel Tunnel, often called the Chunnel, is a railway tunnel that lies underneath the water of the English Channel and connects the island of Great Britain with mainland France.

The Channel Tunnel , completed in 1994, is considered one of the most amazing engineering feats of the 20th century. Dates: Officially opened on May 6, 1994 Also Known As: The Chunnel, the Euro Tunnel Overview of the Channel Tunnel: For centuries, crossing the English Channel via boat or ferry had been considered a miserable task. The often inclement weather and choppy water could make even the most seasoned traveler seasick. It is perhaps not surprising then that as early as 1802 plans were being made for an alternate route across the English Channel. Early Plans This first plan, made by French engineer Albert Mathieu Favier, called for a tunnel to be dug under the water of the English Channel. This tunnel was to be large enough for horse-drawn carriages to travel through. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Although Favier was able to get the backing of French leader Napoleon Bonaparte , the British rejected Favier's plan. (The British feared, perhaps correctly, that Napoleon wanted to build the tunnel in order to invade England.) Over the next two centuries, others created plans to connect Great Britain with France.

Despite progress made on a number of these plans, including actual drilling, they all eventually fell through. Sometimes the reason was political discord, other times is was financial problems. Still other times it was Britain's fear of invasion. All of these factors had to be solved before the Channel Tunnel could be built. A Contest In 1984, French president Francois Mitterrand and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher jointly agreed that a link across the English Channel would be mutually beneficial. However, both governments realized that although the project would create much needed jobs, neither country's government could fund such a massive project. Thus, they decided to hold a contest. This contest invited companies to submit their plans to create a link across the English Channel. As part of the contest's requirements, the submitting company was to provide a plan to raise the needed funds to build the project, have the ability to operate the proposed Channel link once the project was completed, and the proposed link must be able to endure for at least 120 years. Ten proposals were submitted, including various tunnels and bridges. Some of the proposals were so outlandish in design that they were easily dismissed; others would be so expensive that they were unlikely to ever be completed.

The proposal that was accepted was the plan for the Channel Tunnel, submitted by the Balfour Beatty Construction Company (this later became Transmanche Link). The Design for the Channel Tunnels The Channel Tunnel was to be made up of two, parallel railway tunnels that would be dug under the English Channel. Between these two railway tunnels would run a third, smaller tunnel that would be used for maintenance, including drainage pipes, communication cables, drainage pipes, etc. Each of the trains that would run through the Chunnel would be able to hold cars and trucks. This would enable personal vehicles to go through the Channel Tunnel without having individual drivers face such a long, underground drive. The plan was expected to cost $3.6 billion. Getting Started Just getting started on the Channel Tunnel was a monumental task. Funds had to be raised (over 50 large banks gave loans), experienced engineers had to be found, 13,000 skilled and unskilled workers had to be hired and housed, and special tunnel boring machines had to be designed and built. As these things were getting done, the designers had to determine exactly where the tunnel was to be dug.

Specifically, the geology of the bottom of the English Channel had to be carefully examined. It was determined that although the bottom was made of a thick layer of chalk, the Lower Chalk layer, made up of chalk marl, would be the easiest to bore through. Building the Channel Tunnel The digging of the Channel Tunnel began simultaneously from the British and the French coasts, with the finished tunnel meeting in the middle. On the British side, the digging began near Shakespeare Cliff outside of Dover; the French side began near the village of Sangatte. The digging was done by huge tunnel boring machines, known as TBMs, which cut through the chalk, collected the debris, and transported the debris behind it using conveyor belts. Then this debris, known as spoil, would be would be hauled up to the surface via railroad wagons (British side) or mixed with water and pumped out through a pipeline (French side). As the TBMs bore through the chalk, the sides of the newly dug tunnel had to be lined with concrete. This concrete lining was to help the tunnel withstand the intense pressure from above as well as to help waterproof the tunnel.

Connecting the Tunnels One of the most difficult tasks on the Channel Tunnel project was making sure that both the British side of the tunnel and the French side actually met up in the middle. Special lasers and surveying equipment was used; however, with such a large project, no one was sure it would actually work. Since the service tunnel was the first to be dug, it was the joining of the two sides of this tunnel that caused the most fanfare. On December 1, 1990, the meeting of the two sides was officially celebrated. Two workers, one British (Graham Fagg) and one French (Philippe Cozette), were chosen by lottery to be the first to shake hands through the opening. After them, hundreds of workers crossed to the other side in celebration of this amazing achievement. For the first time in history, Great Britain and France were connected. Finishing the Channel Tunnel Although the meeting of the two sides of the service tunnel was a cause of great celebration, it certainly wasn't the end of the Channel Tunnel building project. Both the British and the French kept digging.

The two sides met in the northern running tunnel on May 22, 1991 and then only a month later, the two sides met in the middle of the southern running tunnel on June 28, 1991. That too wasn't the end of the Chunnel construction . Crossover tunnels, land tunnels from the coast to the terminals, piston relief ducts, electrical systems, fireproof doors, the ventilation system, and train tracks all had to be added. Also, large train terminals had to be built at Folkestone in Great Britain and Coquelles in France. The Channel Tunnel Opens On December 10, 1993, the first test run was completed through the entire Channel Tunnel. After additional fine tuning, the Channel Tunnel officially opened on May 6, 1994. After six years of construction and $15 billion spent (some sources say upwards of $21 billion), the Channel Tunnel was finally complete.

Happy Birthday Channel Tunnel: French connection celebrates 20 years of travel | UK | News | Daily Express UK Happy Birthday Channel Tunnel: French connection celebrates 20 years of travel IT'S half a century ago this week that the plans for it were first announced and 20 years since our French connection to the heart of Paris was opened. 00:33, Fri, Feb 7, 2014 The Channel Tunnel has been called the greatest engineering project of the 20th century [GETTY] It has been called the greatest engineering project of the 20th century and listed as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Last year more than 10 million passengers used the Channel Tunnel and since it opened in May 1994 an estimated 325 million passengers have travelled through it – equivalent to five times the UK population. The Chunnel has changed our lives and made it much easier for us to spend weekends away in places such as Paris and Brussels.

Many people commute through it daily but it’s hard to imagine just what a radical idea that seemed 50 years ago when Britain and France agreed to build a tunnel under the sea to link their countries for the first time since the last Ice Age more than 8,000 years earlier. French president Charles de Gaulle, who in 1963 had rejected Britain’s application to join the European Economic Community, was nevertheless keen on the idea of a tunnel. On February 6, 1964, came the historic announcement that Britain and France had given the plan the green light. Transport minister Ernest Marples told the House of Commons: “As a result of studies undertaken jointly, Her Majesty’s government and the French government consider the construction of a rail Channel tunnel is technically possible and that in economic terms it would represent a sound investment of the two countries’ resources.” But it was to be almost another decade before the next steps were taken. The Conservative government of Edward Heath, which had led Britain into the EEC in January 1973, announced plans that same year to build the tunnel with France.

The French and British celebrate as they meet in the middle of the tunnel in 1990 [REX] As a result of studies undertaken jointly, Her Majesty’s government and the French government consider the construction of a rail Channel tunnel is technically possible and that in economic terms it would represent a sound investment of the two countrie Transport minister Ernest Marples But Heath lost power in 1974 and there was less enthusiasm from the new Labour government. “An island is an island and should not be violated,” wrote Labour Cabinet minister Barbara Castle when the scheme was dropped. Labour minister Peter Shore, a staunch opponent of British integration with Europe, said of the tunnel: “This would be the worst thing that could ever happen to Britain.” Mrs Thatcher, who came to power in 1979 at the head of a new Conservative government, wanted private enterprise to build the tunnel. French president Francois Mitterrand was keen to start but it wasn’t until 1987 that work began – a full 24 years after the historic Anglo-French agreement. On December 1, 1990, British and French building workers met in the middle and celebrated with champagne.

Then on May 6, 1994, one year behind schedule and costing more than twice the original estimate of nearly £5billion, the Channel Tunnel was finally opened by the Queen and president Mitterrand. “I never knew it had been opened,” joked comedian Ken Dodd. “As fast as they were digging it their side our lads were filling it in this side.” The Queen took the first highspeed British train to use the tunnel and arrived in Calais at the same time as the French president’s train from Paris. President Mitterrand and Mrs Thatcher [REX] “The tunnel stands as a monument to the joint efforts and talents of our engineers, technicians and construction workers who overcame many problems,” she said. Passenger services on Eurostar, the tunnel rail operator, began later that year with the cheapest fares at £99 return. For the first time in history Britons could travel under the sea to continental Europe. What had seemed to be science fiction was now science fact. The opening came almost 200 years since the first plans to build one had been put forward in the early 1800s.

“In the middle of the French wars, French engineer Jacques-Joseph Mathieu-Favier apparently made the implausible suggestion that the time was ripe to link countries that were then enemies,” writes Terry Gourvish, author of The Official History Of Britain And The Channel Tunnel. Mathieu-Favier’s idea involved a two-gallery tunnel from Cap Gris Nez to Folkestone with services provided by horse-drawn coaches. Other plans for a tunnel were put forward in the 19th century but although engineering work in Britain and France did begin in the early 1880s, the project was abandoned. A major stumbling block were British concerns over security. Lt-General Sir Garnet Wolseley, a distinguished military man, said the tunnel would be “a constant inducement to the unscrupulous foreigner to make war upon us”. At the time of the Second World War there were worries that Hitler could build a tunnel with slave labour and use it to invade Britain. Related articles But by the 1960s the British government felt able to support the idea. The first 20 years of the tunnel have not been without problems. Original predictions of passenger numbers proved wildly optimistic.

Illegal immigrants have used the tunnel to get to the UK, assisted by France’s Sangatte refugee camp being close to the entrance. In the first half of 2001 around 18,500 refugees were stopped from entering Britain illegally via the tunnel but the closure of Sangatte a year later alleviated the problem. Bad weather has caused problems too, most dramatically during heavy snow in December 2009 when five trains failed inside the tunnel, trapping more than 2,000 passengers for 16 hours. Thankfully opponents’ worst fears have not come to pass. Britain hasn’t been invaded, there has been no terrorist attack nor has rabies been imported. Most people today would probably agree than in addition to being an incredible feat, building the Channel Tunnel was the right thing to do – not least couples heading off soon for a romantic Valentine’s weekend in Paris. Chunnel facts and figures - While we refer to the Channel tunnel there are in fact three tunnels connecting Britain and France: two carry trains while a middle one is used as a service tunnel.

- The tunnel is 31.35 miles long, 24 of them under water, making it the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world, at an average 40 metres below the sea bed. - More than 13,000 workers were employed in building it and 11 massive boring drills were used in its construction. - The project used 6.2million tonnes of concrete, said to be enough to fill Wembley Stadium to the height of the Eiffel Tower. - The original journey time for the London to Paris route was 2hrs 50 minutes, now reduced to 2hrs 15 minutes. - Transit time through the tunnel is 35 minutes. - The tunnel lining was designed for a life of 120 years. Most read in UK 2016 1802 In 1802, French mining engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier put forward the first ever design for a cross-Channel fixed link based on the principle of a bored two-level tunnel: the top one, paved and lit by oil lamps, to be used by horse-drawn stagecoaches; the bottom one would be used for groundwater flows.

1803 In 1803, the Englishman Henry Mottray unveils another project for a cross-Channel fixed link: a submerged tunnel made of prefabricated iron sections. 1834 From 1830, the advent of steam trains and the construction of the rail network in Britain led to the first proposals for a rail tunnel. By the mid 19th century, French mining engineer, Aimé Thomé de Gamond, spent 30 years working on seven different designs. 1855 25 August During the state visit to France in Versailles, Queen Victoria and Napoléon III approve the proposed undersea tunnel designed by Thomé de Gamond, which was later on presented in the Exposition Universelle of Paris in 1867. 1880 The first attempt of a tunnel excavation began in 1880 when the « Beaumont & English » tunnel boring machine began digging undersea on both sides of the Channel. 1909 25 July Louis Blériot was the first to fly an aeroplane across the Strait of Dover and in 37 minutes.

1955 February Harold Macmillan, British Defence Minister, announced that he no longer opposed a fixed link on military ground. 1957 Louis Armand formed the Channel Tunnel Study Group (GETM). 1960 July The Channel Tunnel Study Group presents to the governments a proposal of railway tunnel, bored of submerged, comprising a twin rail tunnel with a service tunnel. 1973 17 November The project of the construction and the operations of a railway tunnel under the Channel is finally launched in 1973 at Chequers by Edward Heath, British Prime Minister, and Georges Pompidou, French President, when a Franco-British Channel Tunnel Treaty was signed. 1975 20 January Harold Wilson, British Minister, announced that the project is stopped and withdrawn for financial reasons and in particular due to the oil crisis. 1984 30 November The British and French Governments reached an agreement on a consultation process with private promoters for the construction and operation of a cross-Channel fixed link, without public funding. 1985 The British and French governments issued an Invitation to submit schemes. 1985 Four proposals corresponding to the specifications are received for consideration by the Franco-British assessment Committee.

The Eurotunnel project: A proposal based on the 1972-1975 scheme: 2 one-way rail tunnels for Shuttle trains (carrying cars and trucks) and high speed trains, with a third service tunnel connected at regular intervals to the main tunnels. The 3 other proposals include the following projects: Eurobridge (a suspension bridge – see image), Euroroute (a set of artificial islands, bridges and a tunnel) and Channel Expressway (rail and road tunnels). 1986 20 January Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand announced in Lille that the Eurotunnel bid presented by a Franco-British Consortium « France-Manche-Channel Tunnel Group », has been selected. 12 February In the Canterbury cathedral and in the presence of the British Prime Minister and the French President, the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries signed the Franco-British Treaty of Canterbury, which prepared the Concession for the construction and operation of a cross-Channel Fixed Link by private companies. This Treaty set up the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) responsible for monitoring all matters associated with the construction and operation of the Tunnel on behalf of both governments, together with a Safety Authority to advise the IGC.

14 March The Concession Agreement for the construction, the financing and operation of the Channel Tunnel was awarded to the Franco-British Consortium « France- Manche SA / The Channel Tunnel Group Ltd» for a period of 55 years. 19 May Launch of the Eurotunnel logo, representing the holding company comprising the Concessionaires « France-Manche » and « The Channel Tunnel Group Limited ». 13 August Formation of the Eurotunnel group’s companies and signature of the construction contract between Eurotunnel and TransManche Link (TML). 1987 29 July In Paris, Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand ratified the Treaty of Canterbury, paving the way for the Channel Tunnel to become a reality. 1987 Boring of the service tunnel starts on the UK side. 1988 Start of the service tunnel boring on the French side. 1990 1st December at 12:12 CET British and French teams achieved the first historic breakthrough under the Channel, in the service tunnel at 22.3 km from the UK and 15.6 from France.

1991 22 May at 12:00 CET Breakthrough in the North rail tunnel. 28 June at 12:50 CET Breakthrough in the South rail tunnel. 1993 System handed over to Eurotunnel by TML. 1994 Equipment installation, completion work and testing on the whole Concession (tunnels, terminals, etc). 1994 Official opening by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand. 1st June First international freight train in commercial service through the Channel Tunnel. 25 July Start of the commercial Eurotunnel Truck Shuttle service. 14 November Start of the commercial Eurostar service through the Channel Tunnel. 22 December Start of the commercial Eurotunnel Passenger Shuttle service for cars. 1995 Opening ceremony of the commercial centre Cité-Europe, next to the Coquelles Terminal. 26 June Start of the commercial Eurotunnel Shuttle service for coaches. 31 August Start of the commercial Eurotunnel Shuttle service for motorcycles. 29 September Start of the commercial Eurotunnel Shuttle service for camper vans and caravans.

1997 17 July Opening to the public of Samphire Hoe, a nature reserve created by Eurotunnel at the foot of Shakespeare Cliff (Between Folkestone and Dover) during the construction of the Tunnel. 19 December Official agreement from governments to extend the Concession to 2086, consequence of the first financial restructuring. 1998 15 June Opening ceremony of the F46 building, the longest railway workshop in the world, on the Coquelles Terminal (828 m). 1999 Commercial launch of the first new Arbel Truck Shuttle. 23 March Eurotunnel is named Top Construction Achievement of the 20th century for the Channel Tunnel. 1st July End of duty free within the European Union. 30 December Eurotunnel presents a road tunnel project to the two governments, as required by the Concession Agreement. 2000 Start of the Pet Travel Scheme for cats and dogs. 2002 21 October New platforms and tracks are put into service on the Folkestone and Coquelles Terminals, to increase capacity for the Truck Shuttle service.

December Implementation of a registration plate recognition system at the Truck Shuttle check-ins, in order to improve the truck tracking system on sites already in place since 1999. 2003 Opening of the first section of the high speed rail link in the UK. 2004 13 February Eurotunnel is the first private company to be granted a rail operator’s licence valid across Europe, following the liberalisation of rail freight. 7 April A group of shareholders renewed the entire Board of directors during the General Meeting. 2005 Conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding, a framework agreement outlining the proposed financial restructuring. 24 May A binding preliminary restructuring agreement on the financial restructuring is signed. 12 July Filing a safeguard procedure to place the company under the protection of the Paris Commercial court. 2007 15 January The Paris Commercial court approves the Safeguard Plan put forward by Eurotunnel, which sets out to reduce the debt by half, from 9.2 down to €4bn. 28 June Implementation of the financial restructuring and settlement of the Groupe Eurotunnel SA Exchange Tender Offer on Eurotunnel SA and Eurotunnel PLC, which will be renamed TNU SA and TNU PLC.

2006 19 April Opening of automatic check-in lanes on Eurotunnel freight Terminals, which allowed a reduction in transit time for trucks. 27 June Transport of the 100 millionth customer on Eurotunnel Passenger Shuttle. September Eurotunnel carries out its first carbon footprint, which highlights its commitment to protecting the environment. 2007 The Tour de France teams travel through the Channel Tunnel. October The power supply for the catenary (25,000 Volts) can now use only French electricity, which allows to reduce operating costs and to further improve the company’s carbon footprint. 23 October Implementation of a new simplified pricing system and reform of the access conditions to the Tunnel, to boost rail freight. 14 November Commercial opening of High Speed 1 and inauguration, by the Queen,of St Pancras International, the new station for Eurostar trains in London. 26 November Europorte 2, the rail freight subsidiary of Eurotunnel, takes over the ground operations at Frethun (Pas-de-Calais) for all cross-Channel rail freight traffic and traction of goods trains between Dollands Moor (Kent) and Frethun via the Tunnel.

2008 11 September In interval 6 of the North Tunnel, a fire broke out on a truck carried on board a Eurotunnel Shuttle. 2009 9 February End of renovation work and reopening of interval 6 to commercial operations, following the end 2008 fire. 14 May Eurotunnel is certified by the Carbon Trust Standard for its environmental policy, its efforts to manage and reduce its carbon footprint. June Implementation of the IRIS system using automated registration plate recognition, in order to further improve traffic flow and speed up the Passenger Shuttles loading process. 30 November Acquisition by Groupe Eurotunnel of 4 subsidiaries of Veolia Cargo in France, specialised in rail freight and logistics services. Creation of the Europorte entity including Europorte France, Europorte Proximité, Europorte Channel (ex Europorte 2) and Socorail subsidiaries. 16 December 50 million vehicles have crossed the Channel on board Eurotunnel Shuttles since 1994. 2010 Crossing of the 15 millionth truck on board one of the Eurotunnel Truck Shuttles.

10 February Inclusion of Groupe Eurotunnel SA share in the MSCI Global Standard and MSCI Growth indices. 1st March 500,000 dogs and cats have crossed the Channel on board Eurotunnel Passenger Shuttles, since 2000. 20 April Inauguration of the Coquelles wind farm, comprising 3 turbines of 2.4MW total capacity, which confirms Eurotunnel’s commitment to renewable energies. 27 April Opening of a new commercial service for domestic equidae on board Eurotunnel Passenger Shuttles. 28 May Acquisition by Groupe Eurotunnel of GB Railfreight, 3rd largest rail freight operator in the UK, completing the Europorte entity. 21 June Inclusion of Groupe Eurotunnel SA share in the « CAC Next 20 » indice. 21 July 250 million people have already travelled through the Channel Tunnel, a landmark figure and proof of the commercial and operational success of the Fixed Link between the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

From 12 to 19 October Crossing of an ICE 3 high-speed train from Deutsche Bahn in the Channel Tunnel and success of the technical and evacuation tests prior to the opening of regular services by the German operator via the Tunnel. 14 December Groupe Eurotunnel is the first cross-Channel operator to launch on its website a carbon counter which enables its Truck Shuttle customers to measure the environmental impact and to compare greenhouse gas emissions for the different means of cross-Channel transport available. 21 December Subsidiary of the Eurotunnel group, Europorte Services takes charge, as contracted infrastructure manager (a first in France), of the operation and maintenance of the rail network at the port of Dunkirk. 2011 1st January The majority of the Truck Shuttles expand to 32 carrying wagons (instead of 30 previously), which leads to an increase in transport capacity at a virtually unchanged operating cost. 10 May Railenium, the future European Institute for Technological research in rail Infrastructure based near Valenciennes (Northern France), of which Eurotunnel is a founding member of the consortium, is allocated funds by the French government as an « investment programme for the future ».

26 May Groupe Eurotunnel establishes with Star Capital Partners ElecLink, a joint venture to develop a 500MW electricity interconnection between Great Britain and France, through the service tunnel. 12 July Groupe Eurotunnel as a global organisation is certified by the independent British agency Carbon Trust Standard for its policy and achievements in carbon footprint reduction. Eurotunnel has reduced its carbon footprint by 44% between 2006 and 2008 and by a further 20% from 2009 to 2010, i.e. a cumulative reduction of 55% since 2006. 16 September Groupe Eurotunnel is listed on the FTSE All-World and FTSE Medium Cap indices, in recognition of the company's performance and its ability to meet the highest standards in the financial sector. 13 November 4 SAFE fire-fighting stations build in the middle of rail tunnels became operational. These stations, accessible within a few minutes by Shuttles, automatically disperse a mist of pressurised micro droplets onto the site of a hotspot which would have been detected.

This system, which is unique in the world, contributes to protect the structure of the Channel Tunnel and to guarantee its availability. 2012 2 February Groupe Eurotunnel officially opened the International railway training Centre in Coquelles (CIFFCO), manifesting its desire to contribute to the creation of qualified staff, to play a driving role in developing the rail industry and to continue supporting the economic development of the Calais region. 3 February The Channel Tunnel, outstanding engineering feat and symbol of the Anglo-French partnership, is recognised as one the 4 more important mile stones during the rein of the House of Windsor. It has been selected as one of the Royal Mail commemorative stamps set as part of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (June 2012). 21 March First crossing in the Channel Tunnel of a high-speed freight Euro Carex train which connected Lyon airport to London, via Paris-Roissy airport, demonstrating the efficiency, speed and environmental benefits of an intermodal transportation system combining air containers and high-speed rail network. 11 June Groupe Eurotunnel becomes ship owner via its EuroTransmanche subsidiary who leases 3 ferries at market price to an independent operating company (My Ferry Link).

18 July The Olympic Torch travels through the Channel Tunnel and visits the Eurotunnel nature reserve at Samphire Hoe on its relay route to the London Games. 19 July First day of trading for GET share on NYSE Euronext London: Groupe Eurotunnel is the first company to be admitted on this market. 25 July Successful launch of mobile telephone and internet services in the Channel Tunnel (south rail tunnel) with the French mobile telephone operators. 20 August Start of commercial operations for MyFerryLink between the ports of Dover and Calais. 17 September Official opening of the new Eurotunnel Passenger Terminal building in Folkestone, newly refurbished to the highest international airport standards and christened Victor Hugo Terminal to clearly identify it as the gateway to France. 18 October Eurotunnel celebrates the 300th millionth person to travel through the Channel Tunnel since1994, the equivalent to almost 5 times the population of the United Kingdom. 6 November Europorte and Ceravia (the agricultural cooperative) create a Local Railway Operator: Bourgogne Fret Services.

15 November Europorte has won the tender process launched by the Grand port Maritime of La Rochelle to take over the management, operation and maintenance of its railway network. 2013 Ninth Passenger Shuttle brought back into commercial service. 10 June Long- term partnership signed between Eurotunnel Group and the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, a top French engineering school: creation of a special science chair for railway transport. 11 September 1,100 visitors discovered the behind the scenes of the Channel Tunnel during the European Heritage Days and in particular for the first time, the Eurotunnel terminal and the railway Control Centre (RCC) in Folkestone. 18 September The Channel Tunnel wins the Global engineering century award as the most significant majord building project in the last 100 years, a prize given by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). 28 October "Best CSR policy for a major group" award received at the first "Nuit de l'Entreprise Responsable et Solidaire" in recognition of all the initiatives undertaken in terms of sustainable development.

October Broadcast of the Anglo-French detective series "The Tunnel" by Sky Atlantic and Canal+ in which the Channel Tunnel, the Shuttles and the maintenance workshops are at the centre of the plot. December 20 years after its official opening, the Channel Tunnel, which is part of the national and world heritage, is symbolically on display panels installed close by on the A16 motorway in France. 2014 25 March Crossing of the 20 millionth truck on board one of the Eurotunnel Truck Shuttle between Coquelles and Folkestone. 4 April The Eurotunnel Group, listed in compartment A of the NYSE Euronext, confirms its eligibility for the PEA-PME approach for ETI quoted on Euronext. 6 May Eurotunnel celebrates 20 years of operating success for the Channel Tunnel with many various events organised throughout the year. 5 June To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the launch of international high-speed rail services between the UK and mainland Europe, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II unveils a plaque at St Pancras International before attending the 70th anniversary commemorations of the Normandy Landings.

June Thanks to a collaboration between Eurotunnel, Team Sky et Jaguar, Chris Froome, winner of the Tour de France, cycled across the Channel at an average speed of 55km/h through the service tunnel, 100 metres under the sea, the first time a cyclist has ever done this! 7 July The Terminal 2015 project is launched when the first stone is laid on the Eurotunnel truck terminal in Coquelles. Eurotunnel is investing to provide new services and unbeatable frequency of departure for its ever increasing numbers of customers. This project will allow to increase capacity of the Truck Shuttle service and further improve the management of traffic flows to ensure speed, ease and competitive advantage. September Eurotunnel’s 4th participation in the European Heritage Days met a huge success : more than 1,200 visitors gathered in Folkestone on 13 September and in Coquelles on 20 September to find out more about the behind-the-scenes activities of the cross-Channel Fixed Link, rail operations know-how and the expertise of the teams that manage the Tunnel every day.

24 November Listed on NYSE Euronext Paris and NYSE Euronext London, Eurotunnel Group is now included in the FTSE4Good index which measures and rewards the performance of companies with remarkable CSR initiatives. 12 December In cooperation with its telecommunications operator partners in France and in the UK, Eurotunnel is investing and innovating by introducing 4G mobile services in the Channel Tunnel, thus offering ultra high speed mobile communications to all passengers travelling through the Tunnel. 26 December As approved during the Combined General Meeting on the 29 April 2014, the Eurotunnel Group becomes a European company which its legal framework is adaptated to the Group’s binational features. 2015 13 January Order for 3 new Truck Shuttles to enable Eurotunnel to transport 2 million trucks per year by 2020. With the new fleet of Shuttles, Eurotunnel will increase its capacity by 20% and be able to run up to 8 Truck Shuttles departures per hour in each direction at peak times, instead of 6 today.

1st April Start of operations for the traction of the Caledonian Sleeper, the fast overnight train between London and Scotland by GB Railfreight (the UK rail freight subsidiary of the Group), as part of the 15-year contract with Serco. 28 May Participation of the Group in the “Jeunes d’Avenir” (Young people of the Future) exhibition in Lille to showcase different jobs available in the railway sector to over 6,000 young people seeking employment or training, which further enhance the Group’s commitment to develop employability. 15 June Eurotunnel and the Railway Networks (including Eurostar) sign a new agreement to implement the Railway Usage Contract (RUC) for a further 5 years (2015-2019), thus extending the contributions to the operating, maintenance and renewal costs of the Fixed Link railway infrastructure. The RUC sets out the conditions for access to the railway network and in particular the pricing framework.

20 August Visit to the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles of the French Interior Minister and the British Home Secretary Theresa May, in order to review the extend of the security measures achieved both by the Eurotunnel Group and the two governments since the first attempted intrusions by migrants. 31 August Visit to the Coquelles Terminal of the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, confirming the full support of the French and British governments towards security and the vital importance of the Fixed Link in terms of international cooperation. September Europorte, the UK rail freight subsidiary of Eurotunnel Group, celebrates 10-year of partnership with Lhoist company: traction of freight trains to deliver lime to the steel furnaces in Saarland (Germany). October 16 Tesla superchargers and universal charging stations in total are made available on the terminals in Coquelles (30 June) and in Folkestone (8 October) to Eurotunnel’s customers for recharging their electric vehicles, a free complimentary service.

20 October Inauguration of the new Terminal 2015 in Coquelles, which includes a new buffer zone for 150 trucks, two additional toll lanes and an increase in the number of lanes dedicated to trucks inspections: more security, more fluidity for our customers, hauliers and truck drivers. 1st December Celebrations marking the 25th anniversary since the junction the service tunnel under the Channel while the Eurotunnel Group joins the “Low Carbon 100 Europe” index, measuring the performance of the 100 largest European companies emitting the lowest levels of greenhouse gas emissions. 2016 11 January Opening of the first Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) “On the right track to employment”, a free online training dedicated to the rail business created by CIFFCO, a Eurotunnel Group’s subsidiary. It enable users to plunge into the daily life of train drivers and ground staff through a “serious game” interface, videos, quizzes, 3D locomotive driving simulations, and exchanges with the community: more than 5,000 people registered, 1,000 training attestations and 800 certificates of achievement delivered to participants.

12 February Completion of the Terminal 2015 project with the inauguration of the new Freight Terminal for trucks in Folkestone: 5 new access lanes, a new check-in control building and 5 check-in booth plaza solely dedicated to trucks, enabling traffic flow fluidity around the Eurotunnel site and the full separation of trucks and cars flows at the UK site. Spring Broadcast of the 2nd season of the Anglo-French series “The Tunnel” featuring the cross-Channel Fixed Link, in April on Sky Atlantic in the UK and in March on Canal+ in France. The detective duo, DCI Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Commander Elise Wassermann (Clémence Poesy) reunite beneath the waves to investigate an abduction and the crash of an airliner into the English Channel. 20 May Signing of a conditional agreement between the Eurotunnel Group and Star Capital Partners for the purchase by Groupe Eurotunnel of Star Capital’s 51% share of the joint venture ElecLink, the project of building a 1,000MW electrical interconnection between the United Kingdom and France via the Channel Tunnel.

Question: In which year was the Channel Tunnel opened?
Answer: 1994